Texas GOP lawmaker trapped in his home amid flooding

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) said on Wednesday he is trapped in his home due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

“I am absolutely trapped in my house,” Babin said from his home in Tyler County, northeast of Houston.

“I don’t have a way to get out until we have floodwaters recede here,” Babin told CNN’s Jim Acosta. 

Babin, who said his family is with him in his home, explained he lives behind a creek that had flooded and blocked his home’s exit. 

{mosads}”We could not get out unless a helicopter plucks me out of here or I get in my boat and launch it.”

“But we’re fine. These waters are going to recede hopefully sometime this evening, and we’re doing well. This hurricane is of a magnitude that I have never seen before,” he continued. 

The flooding surrounding Babin’s house was not life threatening, according to Babin’s spokesperson.

“I’m from this part of the country. I have seen many tornadoes and hurricanes and flood events. Never have I seen one like this,” he added. 

“I’m just one of hundreds of thousands of people in this district and across this part of our state that, you know, are just being affected by this terrible storm,” he said. 

Babin’s spokesperson told The Hill that the congressman was later able to get out of his house and rejoin a local emergency management operations center to assist in overseeing the response effort.

Babin’s comments come after he tweeted that Tyler County had issued a mandatory evacuation order on Monday for all “low lying and flood prone areas.”

A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for people in low lying flood prone areas of Tyler County. #TX36 pic.twitter.com/xUTuVjhRX6

— Brian Babin (@RepBrianBabin) August 28, 2017

Tropical Storm Harvey, which made landfall as a category 4 hurricane on Friday, has claimed the lives of 30 people, according to The New York Times.

An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 homes were destroyed in the storm.

The storm is currently pouring rain on southern Louisiana, which could receive upward of 20 inches. 

– This report was updated at 4:27 p.m.